This year has really flown by. It feels like the year just started. I feel like we have had a good year this year full of new adventures and experiences.
In January we had the opportunity to go on a 5 day cruise to Mexico. Cruises are so fun and this was no exception. We loved walking the beaches of Catalina Island and experiencing the natural wonder of the La Bufadora in Ensenada.
Logan turned 11 in February and had an epic Harry Potter party with his friends. I also got LASIK eye surgery and have loved being able to see without using glasses or contacts. It took a little while to heal but my sight is great now.
In March Colby turned 13 and we got another teenager in the house. Spring was finally coming to our house and we started going outdoors more often.
We celebrated Brooklyn's 3rd birthday in April and had a fun Daniel Tiger birthday. We spent some time in St. George during Spring Break exploring the Valley of Fire and other surrounding hikes. April was also full of outdoor adventures as we discovered some of the mountain hikes near our home.
May was all about the outdoor sports. We were all running races, hiking mountains, playing soccer, and just enjoying the warm sunshine and nature.
In June, we spent some more time in St. George, played a lot of baseball, spent time at the lake, learned to rock climb, and brought out the mountain bikes and started racing. I also hiked an epic hike through the Grand Canyon going Rim 2 Rim! This is an experience I will never forget and am so glad I had the opportunity to do it this year.
July was also an outdoor month. Russell and I hiked the Wellsville Ridge and were on top of the world for my birthday. Then we spent a week camping near Bear Lake enjoying the great outdoors by kayaking, swimming, hiking and mountain biking. We loved exploring the secluded area around White Pine Lake and the Minnetonka Caves. We also celebrated Russell's birthday and our 18 wedding anniversary. We finished the month off with a trip to Idaho to compete in the Spudman Triathlon.
In August our new adventure was white water rafting in the Snake River while attending a very exciting Girls Camp. Then it was back to school and back to sports. Emily and Colby killed it on the Mountain bike trails and races. Cross Country season also started and we were running around cheering for Emily and her team.
September started out by celebrating Charlotte's 8th birthday and seeing her make the decision to be baptized a member of the Church. I also loved being in the temple with the Blake's as they were sealed for eternity as a family. Cross country and mountain bike races continued and the kids did so well. Finally, we surprised our 16 year old Emily with a fun birthday party with her friends. Then she was able to accomplish her year's goal of getting her driver's license.
October was spent at football games, cross country meets, and deer hunting. We also participated in our many Fall and Halloween traditions.
In November we gave thanks for all of the blessings we have been given and got to spend a lot of time with family. We also got to watch Colby play a lot of basketball.
Finally December brought a rest from sports and a time to slow down a bit. Russell spent time in Texas with his family. When he returned, we enjoyed many of our family's Christmas traditions.
We spent a lot of time outdoors this year enjoying nature and exploring new areas. For one of my new years goals for this year, I wanted to attend the temple more often and committed to go once a week. This was a great goal for me and I am happy to say that I was able to accomplish it. There may have been one or two weeks I missed but for the most part I was able to go once a week this year. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I did have to juggle schedules sometimes but scheduling an appointment to go ahead of time really kept me accountable and committed. I have learned a lot through this goal and have enjoyed going to the temple a lot more than I have in the past. I really just love the peace the temple brings into my life. It is a time that I can just escape the world and feel calm. I love just siting in the Celestial Room and taking a deep breath of relief. I will continue to make going to the temple a priority going forward.
Thank you 2024 for being a great year.
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